The national PP leaves the decision to call early elections in the Balearic Islands in Prohens' hands after the spending cap fell

PalmAlthough the reduction of the spending cap and the extension of the government's budget do not affect citizens' daily lives, political consequences do arise. At this point, Marga Prohens' minority government finds itself more isolated than ever: without the support of Vox, its preferred partner (as PP representatives have stated on numerous occasions), and without the possibility of negotiating with left-wing parties. The repercussions of the situation in the Canary Islands are being felt in Madrid, weeks before the snap elections in Extremadura (December 21), which the PP's María Guardiola called precisely because of the impossibility of passing the budget in her region.

The PP has left the decision to call early regional elections in Prohens' hands after Parliament rejected the spending cap with the opposition of all parties except the PP and the defectors who left Vox – Xisco Cardona, Agustí Buades, and Idoia. In fact, Ribas and Buades have accused Vox of "betraying" the public after Wednesday's meeting of the Board of Parliamentary Spokespersons. "We, unlike the conspiracy of the red socialists and the new green socialists [referring to Vox], voted in favor of the Balearic Islands having a spending cap as a preliminary step to being able to negotiate a budget," said Ribas, who reiterated that the Vox leadership wants to "sabotage the legislature in the Balearic Islands." Regarding the budget extension, the spokesperson for the People's Party in the Congress of Deputies, Ester Muñoz, emphasized that regional presidents have the capacity and legal legitimacy to call elections, according to Europa Press. Muñoz also stressed that Vox must decide "what it wants to be when it grows up: whether to favor governments that are not left-wing or to play the PSOE's game." For now, the only party calling for early elections in the Balearic Islands is the PSIB: That's what Iago Negueruela did in Tuesday's plenary session.Prohens reminded him that Sánchez has no intention of doing so in Madrid, even though he is still extending the budget from the previous legislature.

In any case, early elections are not a possibility that the Balearic PP is considering at this point. The PP's spokesperson in the Parliament, Sebastià Sagreras, stated this Wednesday that the party expects to pass its initiatives, with the support of Vox or other parties. Sagreras also highlighted that the government has managed to approve two budgets this legislative term and that the 2025 budget "will allow us to navigate smoothly" the time remaining until the May 2027 elections. However, the Vox spokesperson, Manuela Cañadas, issued a warning to the PP, asserting that "these kinds of things are ridiculous." "They can say whatever they want, but the citizens aren't stupid," she added.

"A shameful debate"

For their part, the left-wing parties described Tuesday's debate on the spending cap as "shameful" and again accused the government of deliberately pushing for its rejection, which is exactly what happened. "They've been dragging this out for weeks, while the government had no intention of preparing the budget," said Josep Castells, spokesperson for Més per Menorca. Lluís Apesteguia, spokesperson for Más per Mallorca, criticized the government's vice president, Antoni Costa, for not explaining the spending cap "at any point." "There was no mention of the projected revenue from the hydrocarbon tax, the property transfer tax, the decrease in water levy revenue, or why personal income tax collection is being maintained," Apesteguia listed, adding that Costa's accusations against the central government were an "electioneering tactic." "As if the People's Party (PP) weren't controlled by Madrid, as if they could do whatever they wanted without being held accountable... What we have to hear!" he exclaimed. "Yesterday, they didn't talk about anything that matters to the public; they were just busy fighting amongst themselves," declared the eco-sovereignist spokesperson.

"The fall of the spending cap is a defeat for the Government," stated the PSIB spokesperson, Iago Negueruela, also predicting that the lack of a budget "will add to the instability for the second time this legislature—the 2025 budget also initially fell, although later the Government's 'yearly' negotiations, as has been demonstrated: all the political groups turned their backs on them, and the only thing they've managed to gain is defectors," Negueruela continued, also criticizing Prohens' absence during the spending cap debate and the plenary session on December 9—it will be in Brussels. "In a democracy, it's important to know how to lose," reiterated the socialist spokesperson.